Smalling hails old pals at Fulham ahead of return to Craven Cottage with United

Manchester United defender Chris Smalling has admitted he would not be where he is today without the two years he spent at Fulham.

Smalling will show no mercy towards his old club on Wednesday when United visit Craven Cottage hunting three more points in their quest to retain the Barclays Premier League title.

However, the 21-year-old will be greeting some old friends before and after kick-off.

Rising star: Chris Smalling joined Manchester United from Fulham in 2010

And, although he only made 14 senior appearances for the Cottagers, it was the period between being snapped up from non-league Maidstone to arriving at Manchester United in 2010 that turned him into an England international.

'Without [former Fulham boss] Roy Hodgson giving me my chance there I wouldn't be here,' he said. 'I had a big two years there and it is a time I look back upon fondly.

'My first year was about finding my feet. The second was about showcasing what I can do.

'It'll be nice to go back and see a few of the players and play back at the Cottage.'

Manager Sir Alex Ferguson needs to decide what changes to make for United's second trip to London in four days.

Behind the scenes, though, the Red Devils' hierarchy has become increasingly vexed at the statements of agent Jose Irribaran about Argentina winger Nicolas Gaitan.

When Irribaran claimed United were in talks with Benfica about buying the player, the patience of chief executive David Gill finally snapped.

It has been stressed by senior United officials that Ferguson has expressed no interest in Gaitan, will not be doing so in the future and the chances of the player ending up at Old Trafford are zero.

Tough test: United travel to Craven Cottage on Wednesday night

Not that Gaitan, or any other new arrival, could assist at Fulham, who bounced back from their shock Europa League exit by beating Bolton on home soil at the weekend.

'Fulham have had a strong foundation there for the last few years and have kept the squad pretty solid,' said Smalling.

Although their campaign is generally viewed as a bit of a shambles given it includes that 6-1 hammering by Manchester City in October, a home Carling Cup defeat by Crystal Palace and, earlier this month, a Champions League exit that could cost up to £20million, United's overall record in the Premier League at least has been good.

International: Smalling is now an England player

It may only have been recently that the goals have started to flow again but, with six wins and a draw from seven outings, Ferguson's side have bounced back from that derby-day mauling in fine style.

Providing that winning run continues, festive home games against relegation-threatened duo Wigan and Blackburn offer an obvious opportunity to increase the momentum - in the latter case, taking over the Premier League leadership for more than the four hours they were able to on Sunday.

So, whilst some clubs find it difficult to juggle their squads over such a congested phase on the season, United view this period as an opportunity, even if their midfield resources remain woefully thin.

'The players always look forward to this time of year because there are plenty of games,' said Smalling. 'We are used to the demands of so many games, so it is a big opportunity to pick up a lot of points - and we are aiming for the maximum.

'Christmas can be a hindrance on some and even make or break you in terms of kicking on. But this is a period where we really need to show everybody we mean business.'

The surprise return of Javier Hernandez from an ankle injury at QPR offers Ferguson a further attacking option, which provides the opportunity to drop Wayne Rooney back into a midfield role.